Austin, TX – The 2026 ALM First Financial Forum kicked off yesterday at the Four Seasons Austin overlooking idyllic Lady Bird Lake. Highlights from the first day of this industry-leading, three-day conference included an insightful keynote session on The Great Wealth Transfer presented by Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. and the latest Economic & Market Update tailored specifically to financial institutions by Jason Haley, ALM First’s Chief Investment Officer.
With nearly $124 trillion in assets expected to change hands in the coming years, community financial institutions have an unprecedented opportunity to build relationships with heirs to retain inherited funds, according to Eisenberg. While the process of inheritance will be slow, it has huge implications for credit unions as many Boomers are not spending their wealth, setting the stage for a significant generational wealth transfer.
Despite a “hazy” economic environment, credit unions and banks are in a period of strength. Haley noted very healthy margins for the industry and the stabilization of credit performance – with serious delinquency in credit cards leveling off even as autos and FHA mortgage serious delinquency has risen. Overall, household balance sheets remain strong and there is a significant amount of liquidity in financial markets.
Yesterday also included a Regulatory Update, featuring insights from both a former regulator and a former examiner, ALM First’s Dale Klein and Brent Lytle. Amid recent leadership changes and regulatory uncertainty, the environment isn’t getting simpler for financial institutions. With a smaller workforce and more targeted examination resources, it’s critical for depositories to know their risks before their regulator does and build internal capabilities around institutional needs.
An executive panel with ALM First CEO, Emily Hollis, and Principals Mike Ensweiler, Travis Goodman, Jason Haley, Alec Hollis, and Ryan Sherwin explored how institutions can build durable competitive advantage without taking on excessive balance sheet risk. The leadership team highlighted AI as a way for smaller institutions to compete with larger players, a value proposition rooted in relationships rather than rates, and a disciplined approach to assessing alternative investments with attention-grabbing headline yields. Their message to boards: worry less about day-to-day management and short-term risk, and more about staying relevant in their communities a decade from now and investing in their people.
This year, over 200 financial professionals are attending the sold-out conference, which was designed to be the premier event for financial executives to discover insights, formulate strategies, and gain new perspectives about the coming year.
Today, two separate education tracks, led by a variety of industry experts, will deliver custom-tailored sessions to Executives and Board Members. These sessions will cover a wide range of topics including asset liability management, hedging, investments, governance, and more.
Learn more about the educational resources ALM First offers by visiting www.almfirst.com.
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About ALM First
ALM First was founded in 1995 as a strategic partner for depositories, offering an array of financial advisory services. The firm’s expertise in asset liability management, investment management, balance sheet strategy, secondary market solutions, and specialty financial services, has allowed it to deliver deeper insights into financial institutions’ balance sheets, strengthening their performance and building efficiencies. With approximately $80 billion of investments under management (as of August 31, 2026), ALM First Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment advisor, acting as an unbiased third party, offering commission-free, fee-based services to over 300 financial institutions across the country.
In recent years, ALM First Group has expanded to include several wholly-owned subsidiaries including DDJ Myers, an ALM First Company and ALM First Executive Benefits, LLC. Driven by client needs, the firm now offers various services to help financial institutions optimize their greatest assets – their people.
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